New Babies and Parent Sleep Deprivation--Parenting
102
There's a new TV program about Surgical interns
who lead exciting but tired lives--they stay up 48 hours straight
yet continue to function. Enamored with their driven hectic
schedules but don’t want to go to medical school? Have
a baby.
Think about all the new information that must be learned about
a baby's feeding, diet and health (or lack of it--they get coughs,
colds, flu, diarrhea, vomiting, spit ups, belly pain, colic,
wheezing, teething pain.)–it’s just the beginning.
The hard part is the effect on the parents sleep cycle. The
baby awakens to feed every two hours for six to twelve weeks,
some babies even longer. I’ve known some to take a year
to find a good sleep pattern.
Medical students are trained to wake at a moments notice in
the middle of the night, make quick decisions while half asleep,
then fall back to sleep in seconds. 6 AM starts another day.
The layperson can be surprised by this demand on their sleep
cycle. Tired sleepless people are crabbier and less participatory.
They are more accident prone and take longer to accomplish simple
routine tasks. Sleep deprivation can cause a host of other problems
including inability to concentrate, think and drive. It can augment
the sedative effects of certain medications and alcohol. Depression
and sleep disorders have a high rate of association. Sleep deprivation
causes mood swings, irritability and reduces athletic coordination.
Driving is an especially important topic when it comes to sleep
deprivation and drowsiness. In a previous column, I discussed
accidents as one of the major causes of death and disability.
The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) cites
that 1 in 4 persons has fallen asleep while driving. They estimate
that sleep deprivation and drowsiness may be a factor in over
25,000 crashes with 1500 fatalities each year. Driving drowsy
has been shown to be almost or as dangerous as drunk driving.
The good thing about sleep deprivation-- the cure is easy. Recognize
the problem and address it. Quickie naps are a start. Early to
bed once or twice a week can help you catch up, too. If you can,
hire a sitter on occasion for some quiet time. Baby sleep patterns
will often smooth out as they incorporate more solid foods into
their diets and soon the late night awakenings will be a only
a distant memory. This is dedicated to all new parents for your
devotion to your babies night-time feeding schedules. You have
what it takes to survive medical internship!
* * *
Readers may send questions to this
email address. This column is for informational purposes
only and is not a substitute for professional or medical advice.
* * *
